Hoofbeats on the Trail

by Mark Littleton

  “No,” Ally answered. “But I thought you were starting to like him.”

  “He’s okay. It’s just that…”

  “What?”

  Nick shrugged. “Nothing. Let’s just go see if Jeff is out and about.”

  They stepped around behind some houses. Jeff’s house was only a few houses down. Ally suddenly spotted a figure run across the back lawn and disappear into the woods.

  She grabbed Nick and made him duck down.

  “What?” Nick asked.

  “I think it was Jeff darting into the trees.”

  “So what?”

  “Let’s see where he was going.”

  “You mean spy on him?”

  “No, just follow him. Come on.”

  They hurried down to where they saw Jeff run into the trees. Ally quickly found the well-worn path, one that she’d never been on before.

  “This must be it,” she whispered.

  They walked cautiously down the trail as Ally searched the trees for signs of Jeff. A few minutes later, she saw him climbing a rope ladder. She motioned to Nick, and they stopped and crouched, watching.

  “What is it?” Ally whispered, pointing to where Jeff was climbing.

  “Looks like a tree fort,” Nick answered. “Let’s circle around behind it to get a better look.”

  “Oh, so now you’re interested?”

  “Okay, maybe I don’t mind being a spy sometimes.”

  “Or a P.I.”

  “P.I.?”

  “Private investigator.”

  “Do you think Jeff is the one wrecking the houses?” Nick asked suddenly.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Ally said. “I’m just having fun. Let’s go. If he comes back, he’ll come back this way.”

  They crept around through the thick woods to the other side of the tree fort, keeping it in sight but shielding themselves so Jeff couldn’t see them. Fifteen minutes later, Jeff climbed down from the tree fort, looked around, and then hurried off back toward the houses.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Nick said.

  “What?”

  “Go check it out?”

  “Let’s.”

  Nine

  The Mystery at the Tree Fort

  The tree fort was built of what looked like scrap wood from the many house-building sites in the area. It looked kind of ramshackle, but strong enough to hold both of them. After making sure Jeff was gone, Nick climbed the ladder. Ally followed.

  Inside the tree fort, they found a number of interesting things lying around. A box with a lot of canned and packaged food lay in one corner. Next to it sat a bunch of camping gear, as if someone were planning a trip. In another corner stood a large bag of oats.

  But the real revelation was a pile of VCRs, tape decks, and other pieces of electronic equipment. They looked old and used, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have been stolen.

  Nick glanced at Ally unhappily. “Do you think what I think?”

  “That he steals this from the houses?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  They climbed down and stole off through the trees, taking another route toward the creek and the Matthews’s farm to make sure they didn’t run into Jeff. When they reached the road, they saw a house with a car Ally recognized parked in front. They watched as Mr. Bell stepped out of the house, shut the door, and walked to his car. Nick and Ally hurried across the street.

  “Mr. Bell! Mr. Bell!”

  Mr. Bell looked startled, but then regained his composure. “Oh, it’s you kids.”

  “Did someone trash another house?”

  “That’s what it looks like. I was just going to call the police.” Mr. Bell grabbed a cell phone out of his car.

  “I’m sorry,” Ally said. “I hope they catch these people.”

  “We’ll get them. We’re pretty sure it’s kids.”

  “Do you suspect anyone in particular?” Nick asked.

  “Some kid trying to fence electronic items, probably. You don’t know any likely suspects, do you?” Mr. Bell dialed his phone.

  Ally glanced at Nick and took a breath. “Not really.”

  “Well, don’t go snooping around. These people could be dangerous.” He spoke into the phone. “Yes, I’d like to report a break-in.” He turned to Nick and Ally. “I’ll take care of this, kids. Thanks for your cooperation.”

  “Anytime,” Ally said.

  “Glad to be of service,” Nick added.

  They walked off as Mr. Bell spoke with the police. When they were out of earshot, they snapped into a faster walk.

  “What are we going to do, Nick?”

  “About Jeff?”

  “What else? He could be the one doing the robberies. If we stop him before he gets caught, it would be much easier on him.”

  “Yeah, he’d only go to jail for twenty years instead of thirty.”

  “Do you think it could be that bad?”

  “I don’t know,” Nick answered. “Kids don’t really go to jail. He’d probably end up in juvenile detention. But I don’t think it’ll be good any way you cut it.”

  “What should we do then?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Look,” Ally said. “I think we need to work this one out before we tell anyone. We don’t want to betray Jeff.”

  “I guess I agree with that.”

  “You guess?”

  “Yeah. I’m with you in not going to the police or anything, at least not until we’re sure. But I think we should at least confront Jeff.”

  “I hate this. I just hate it.”

  Ten

  Hound Dog

  The next day, Ally was determined to talk to Jeff more directly about the break-ins, but she wasn’t sure how he would handle it, especially when he found out they had been in his tree house. Still, she had to know what Jeff was doing. For his sake more than anyone else’s.

  She met up with Nick that morning. As they walked up the road to Jeff’s house, Ally spotted him ambling down toward them. He waved.

  “Let me handle it, Nick, okay?” Ally said.

  “Fine with me,” Nick answered.

  Jeff hurried up to them. “Hey, Coombsie has a surprise for us. Want to see it?”

  “What is it?” Ally asked cautiously. “Not more ghosts?”

  “He’s sorry about all that,” Jeff said. “He doesn’t know why or how it comes over him. He just loses control when he thinks they’re there. But I think it’ll be okay. He says it’s really cool what he’s found.”

  So they followed Jeff toward Coombsie’s place in the woods. Ally tried to think of a way of confronting Jeff.

  “We saw Mr. Bell today,” she said.

  “Who’s he?” Jeff asked.

  “The owner of some rental houses. Another house was broken into.”

  “Man, how many is it now?” Jeff asked with what seemed like honest amazement. Ally wasn’t sure how to proceed.

  “I think it’s just a few. You’re sure Coombsie isn’t involved, Jeff?”

  “Well, I don’t know for sure, but I haven’t ever seen anything at his cabin that looked stolen. Why do you think Coombsie would do that kind of thing, anyway?”

  “Just wondering.” Ally chewed her lip. “The burglars are stealing electronic stuff out of the houses. Stereos. VCRs. That kind of thing.”

  “You can go to the local dump for that,” Jeff said.

  “What do you mean?” Ally felt Nick leaning forward with interest.

  “You know, the dump we were near the other day when we saw the dogs. It’s way over on the other side of where Coombsie lives. Coombsie and I have been over there; you can find all kinds of stuff.”

  “Like what?”

  “VCRs. Refrigerators. Most of them are no good, I’m sure. But some might work. People throw away everything these days.” Jeff hurried on ahead. “I can’t wait to see Coombsie’s surprise. He finds the coolest things.”

  As Jeff walked out in fr
ont of them, Ally whispered to Nick, “He doesn’t act guilty at all, does he?”

  “Maybe he isn’t, Ally.”

  “But what about all that stuff, those electronic things at the tree fort?”

  “Hurry up,” Jeff called. “I’m leaving you in the dust.”

  Ally stopped and regarded Nick with firm eyes. “What do you think? Come on, what should we do?”

  “Just hang in there for awhile. We’ll get it out of him.”

  “You think so?”

  “Hurry up!” Jeff yelled again.

  “We better get moving,” Nick said to Ally, then took off running.

  They caught up to Jeff as he waited in a copse of laurel and pine trees.

  “You know, I wouldn’t question Coombsie about the break-ins. He might not like you suspecting him of something like that,” Jeff said. “He’s kind of sensitive about honesty.”

  “It was just a question,” Ally said, noting that she sounded a little defensive.

  “Accusing someone of something—that’s nasty,” Jeff said. “Especially when they’re innocent.”

  “I wasn’t accusing him,” Ally said, narrowing her eyes.

  “I bet you even suspect me,” Jeff said suddenly, looking from Ally to Nick and then back. “I bet you do, don’t you?”

  “It’s just that I don’t know you very well,” Ally said. “I mean, you yourself said it must be someone who lives in the area.”

  “So you think it’s me, don’t you?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Do you, Nick?” Jeff asked, looking to Nick.

  Nick shook his head. “I hardly know you, Jeff. You could be a thief for all I know.”

  “Thanks a lot.”

  “Look, just tell us then and that’ll settle it,” Ally said. “Do you have anything to do with the break-ins?”

  “No.”

  “Well, that’s good enough for me,” Nick said.

  “And you?” Jeff asked Ally. He stared her down, his eyes not blinking. He looked angry and hurt. She knew she couldn’t bring up the tree fort now. Not yet. Not until she was sure.

  “I believe anyone’s word until it’s proven otherwise,” Ally answered. She moved uncomfortably from foot to foot.

  “I believe anyone, period.” Jeff said angrily. “I believe they tell the truth if they tell me it’s the truth.” Jeff stared at them for a moment, then shrugged. “No, I don’t really. Most people are liars, and if you don’t believe me, I guess I can live with that. But I am telling you the truth.”

  “Then what about the—?” Ally caught herself and stopped.

  “What about what?”

  “You and Coombsie. Where does he fit into the Jeff Reynolds life story?”

  Jeff grinned. “Coombsie has never betrayed me, and he never would. I can trust him completely.”

  “Is that what you want from people?”

  Jeff just shrugged. Then he turned to look down the trail. “Come on. If we keep this up, it’ll be tomorrow by the time we get there.”

  They hurried along until they found Coombsie’s cabin. Jeff walked right up to the door and pounded on it. There was no answer. Then Coombsie came around the side of the house with a rifle in his hand.

  “Hey, we came to see this surprise you have,” Jeff said.

  Coombsie looked sleepy to Ally, and he rubbed his eyes as if he was just waking up.

  “Been taking a pine tree nap,” Coombsie said. “Fell asleep trying to get me some rabbit for dinner.”

  “Coombsie likes to fall asleep in the boughs of a pine tree over a ways,” Jeff explained. “It’s very nice. Kind of sways in the wind.”

  “It sounds relaxing,” Ally said.

  “So what’s the surprise?” Jeff asked Coombsie.

  “Follow me,” Coombsie answered. He dumped the gun, picked up his violin case, and handed Jeff a flashlight.

  “What’s this for?”

  “You’ll see.”

  The three of them followed Coombsie up a trail into the trees. A few minutes later, they stood in front of the mouth of a fairly large cave carved into a wall of rock.

  “What’s in there?” Jeff asked.

  “Come and see,” Coombsie said, ducking down under the top lip of the cave and stepping inside.

  “It’s not a bear, is it?” Jeff said.

  “Come and see,” Coombsie said, grinning. His red lips against the gray and black of his beard reminded Ally of a smiling Santa.

  “It isn’t a bear, is it?” Ally said nervously.

  “Yeah, and Coombsie’s going to give it a concert,” Nick said.

  Coombsie had already disappeared inside. Jeff pulled the flashlight out of his pocket. “C’mon. Let’s go,” he said.

  When they were inside, they found Coombsie, standing and listening. “Whatever you do, don’t startle them,” he said. And don’t run.”

  “But what is it?” Ally said, her eyes widening.

  “Just come,” Coombsie said. “Don’t you like a little adventure?”

  “Sure, but…”

  Jeff stepped past her behind Coombsie and tramped on into the cave. Ally took a deep breath and followed, with Nick behind her. A moment later, she heard a soft mewling sound, like a deer or a fawn in pain. When they came around a corner under an outcropping of rock, Jeff shone the light ahead and Coombsie stopped.

  Ally heard barking.

  “It’s okay, girl,” Coombsie said gently.

  Ally looked down the line of light from the flashlight. It settled on a small mound of leaves and pine boughs. On the mound rested a dog. It looked like a black lab to Ally.

  “Had the pups about six weeks ago,” Coombsie said. “Been bringing her food every day. One of the dump dogs, I suppose.”

  As Ally’s eyes adjusted to the light, she saw a small pile of fluffy pups who all appeared to be asleep, except one, which was crawling desperately over the others.

  “I call her Shea,” Coombsie said, pointing to the mother. “I don’t know what her real name is.”

  He walked to the dog and crouched down beside her, rubbing her back.

  The other puppies woke up and began hustling over one another in a moving pile. Coombsie took some bits of food out of his pocket and gave it to the mother. “Pups’re too young for real food.”

  He rubbed the mother dog all over and talked to her as the kids looked on. Then Ally knelt down by the pups and began petting them. “They’re so cute,” she said.

  Nick picked one up, and it wet on him.

  “Figures I’d get the one that had to go,” he said, setting the tiny dog down.

  Coombsie laughed a deep, kettledrum kind of laugh. It was the first time Ally had ever heard him actually laugh.

  “So this is the surprise?” Jeff said, stooping and touching a pup.

  “No, this is the surprise,” Coombsie said, picking up his violin. He removed it from the case and set it to his neck and chin. Then he began to play Brahms’s “Lullaby.”

  At first, it was just the bare melody. Da-da-da. Da-da-da. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da…Then he added in his own riffs and ad libs to the lullaby.

  Shea sat up and began to yowl with the melody. The puppies then gathered around the mother, making their own squealing noises.

  Coombsie’s eyes twinkled. “They’re my choir,” he said over the lilting of the violin. He slowly brought the music to a stop. Shea lay back down and turned on her side to suckle the puppies.

  “Better leave her now,” Coombsie said, packing up the violin. “A dog like this values its privacy.”

  “Like you, Coombsie?” Jeff said.

  “Yeah, like me,” Coombsie said, leading them to the outcrop and out of the cave.

  “That was incredible,” Ally said when they stood back in the sunlight.

  Coombsie replied, “All part of getting back to nature. I wish I was one of them. They have the real life.”

  “It’ll get better, Coombsie,” Jeff said. “I know it.”

  “Yeah.” />
  They all walked in silence back to the cabin, then Nick said they’d better be getting home. Jeff said his aunt and he had to go into town that afternoon, so Ally and Nick walked along the trail to the main road alone, leaving Jeff behind.

  “I think Coombsie is a very gentle person,” Ally said as they stepped onto the main road.

  “I think things like that dog and Jeff keep him sane,” Nick added, nodding.

  Ally looked at Nick with admiration. “That’s a good thought, and maybe that’s part of the answer for Coombsie.”

  “Jeff too,” Nick said without explaining himself further.

  When they reached Ally’s house, Nick said he’d better get on home and check on Molly. Ally was glad to be alone. She had a lot to think about: Am I wrong to suspect that Jeff could be the house robber?

  Eleven

  Caught Red-Handed

  As Ally stepped inside the house, her mother called to her from the kitchen.

  “Guess who’s coming over for dinner tonight?”

  “I don’t know. Who?” Ally said without much curiosity. She felt tired and upset about not getting things straight with Jeff.

  “Your friend Jeff and his aunt.”

  “You’re kidding.” Ally perked up.

  “I called his aunt up. She’s very nice. She wants to meet us.”

  “That’s cool.”

  Ally walked directly to the phone, picked it up, and dialed Nick’s number. When Molly answered, she asked for Nick, and he came on seconds later.

  “Hey!” he said.

  “Look, we’ve got to go back to that tree fort,” Ally whispered. “We have to get this straightened out before tonight.”

  “Why? What’s tonight?”

  “Just trust me on it. I’ll meet you on the road.”

  Ally hung up and walked into the kitchen. “I’m just going for a walk with Nick, Mom,” she said.

  “Fine. Be back by 4:00. I’ll need some help. They’re coming over at 6:00.”

  “No problem.”

  Ally met up with Nick and the two of them hurried past Jeff’s house through the trees so they wouldn’t be seen. Ally saw that Miss Kruck’s car was gone, so she and Jeff had probably gone into town.